Relaxation
by foxfire222
Summary: 4th in Frienemies series. Takes place in the real season 2. I'll try to do that from now on. Leonard has escaped from prison and sought some relief from the stresses of life. Barry catches him but is strangely cool about it. Leonard is under the influence and so is a little OOC. Let me know what you think please! Rating a caution for content (not Slash or Violence though).


Most of the time Leonard Snart felt burdened. It wasn't really a problem, more like his version of reality. Ever since he was 15 and his father had first gone after Lisa. Since then he found himself almost always feeling burdened by one thing or another. _Almost_ all of the time. When he was 17 he had found a way to escape. He wasn't like others, using it to solve all his problems. But sometimes when the world got so bad that he might break apart, he would escape. Given all the other things he could have done to do this he considered himself lucky. Still, it wasn't exactly legal as most of the world was concerned.

Right now was one of those times. He had escaped from Prison about a week ago and had been moving none stop. Little sleep and lots of stress had moved him to this situation. The latest safe house was the last one on his list. After using a long list of known ones he was finally in one that only he knew. Even Lisa didn't know about this shitty little apartment. The place was a real rat hole but it was the most private thing he had had in years. It's where he came to truly unwind. As he laid on his couch and watched some rerun cartoon he smiled. His body relaxed for the first time in over a month and he sighed. He was safe, free, and calm.

He enjoyed it long enough to finish an episode and a half of his cartoon. But as soon as a bear took tight hold of a giant burrito his peace was ruined. He didn't even look up when he heard the banging opening and closing of his front door and the wind against his skin. His eyes stayed focused on the brown bear as he sighed, "What do you want?"

The pause that followed was the most pregnant he had ever heard. He was sure it would soon give birth to the giant elephant that existed in the room. The very thought made him chuckle as he watched a montage on the TV. He giggled again, liking the song that played over it. Barry finally spoke, "Please tell me that's sage or something."

"The correct line is oregano Scarlet. And the answer is still no." Len answered simply as he continued to watch the screen, "What do you want?"

"You broke out of prison."

"No shit." Len reached forward, trying to take hold of the thing that gave him calm. He frowned when his hands met air. He glared at Barry who was holding his main goal, "Give that back."

"What the Hell Snart? I thought you were to smart for this!" Barry was being a superior hero again. Len snorted in derision.

"Stuff it kid. I know even you have done it before. Everyone has. Don't get all high and mighty on me." he laughed a little harder then was deserved for his own pun. It made him feel good though so he didn't fight it.

"That's not the point." Len snickered at the red cheeks of his rival, "What are you doing smoking pot at a time like this?!"

Len sighed and paused his TiVo(Yeah, he had stupid cartoons on his TiVo. Wanna make something of it?). He turned slowly to Barry, trying to avoid the worry over the thing in those clumsy hands, "What do you want me to say kid? That it's the first time I've ever done it? That someone else made me do it? Cause none of that is true." Barry looked like he was going to talk again so Len held up a hand to stop him, "I'm talking now." Barry's mouth shut. Len leaned more against the side of the couch, his head pulling forward in the direction of his rival slightly, "I know how smart you are Barry. So smart and mixed with super speed. I can only imagine the curse, given my own." Barry raise a confused eyebrow so Len explained without needing to be asked, "Seeing the details in every aspect of life is hard on anyone. Add to that the lack of understanding from people around you, duties you have to preform as a member of society, and so many other factors...it's a wonder how people like you and me have remained sane sometimes." Len looked at his soda on the table and grabbed it, his throat suddenly dry. He paused to take a large pull from the can before he continued, "Sometimes people like us need to feel more normal. A slower brain to help center our thoughts. Cigarettes produce a similar if smaller effect. But they also cause cancer. Pills, needles, that way leads to nothing but ruin and more pain. What you're holding there is way better. It last for a little while, long enough to take a break, and then it goes away. How else do you want me to stay sane Barry?"

Barry looked between what he held and Len's open expression. It was one of the reasons that Len did this alone. He hated appearing weak or impaired around others. He was busted now though, so he wasn't going to hide his condition. He wondered for a moment if it was strange he was less worried about Barry seeing him this way then he would be if it was Lisa. Then Barry spoke, "You broke out of Prison."

"Yes I did." Len replied, "But I didn't do more then knock out a few guards and blow a hole in a wall."

"You killed your dad." Barry said. Len would have been offended if he hadn't detected the tone in which it was spoken. Almost like a denial. Barry wanting to try and stick to his moral code even knowing want Lewis had done. Len had to give the kid credit.

Len laughed, "Yeah, I did. And the second I did I felt more free then I ever have. You heard Lisa's side, she told me what she said. But you don't even know the half of it. I never let Lisa see me bleed...literally." Len sighed and pressed play on his TiVo, no longer looking at Barry, "How about, just this once, you ignore all of this. You sit down, watch the show with me, and give me back my property."

Len was just starting to worry that Barry was going to deny his request when the couch sagged. Len's eyes brightened as he looked at the glass ware placed on the table before him. The ice cubes just starting to melt inside their glass confines. Without hesitation he picked it up and flicked the lighter that had been glued to his hand for the last hour. The smoke in his lungs and the burn that accompanied it were instantly comforting. He only coughed once as he breathed out the smoke, the cough caused by a funny thing in the cartoon. Barry let out an amused chuckle as he watched the show, "What is this anyway?"

"Not sure what it's called right now. But I like the white bear the best." Len admitted as he picked up his soda and sipped again.

Barry laughed louder, "I'm not surprised."

They watched for a few more minutes before Len asked, "Wanna get the chips out of the cabinet?"

"Guess so." Barry said with a shrug. A rush of wind and the man was back, mask now removed. Len was sure he would have marveled more at the trippy experience of seeing Barry's speed in his current state if he hadn't been distracted by the chips in the speedster's lap.

Len didn't know how much time went by. He just continued to take puffs off his glassware, refilling it when it got empty. Eventually the light outside the window vanished and his TiVo said there were no more episodes of the cartoon. Len grunted in disappointment and looked over when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Feel better now?" Barry's eyes were so kind and Len just nodded

"Yeah, I feel better." he looked Barry hard in the face, "While I have you here I have a serious question for you."

Barry looked worried for a moment before he matched Len's serious face, "Sure, what's up?"

Len fought as hard as he could to keep the smile off his face when he asked, "If I gave you 200 would you zip out and get me an ounce?"

The face of shock Barry made had Len rolling around on the couch. He only paused for a moment when he fell off but it was just to funny to stop. Barry glared down at him, "Serves you right." he got up and pulled his mask back on. Len locked eyes and felt strangely sober for a moment, "No more killing." Barry said seriously

Len nodded, "Never again." he knew he meant it. And from the look on the kid's face Len had a feeling Barry knew that too. Barry was gone seconds later. Len pulled himself back up onto the couch and frowned at his television. He pulled up Netflix and his eyebrows went up when he viewed the main screen, "I didn't know that had a new season!"


End file.
